What the [hell]...!

When I finished my medical internship early this year, I was armed with three things: a license to practice medicine in Kenya, an unshakeable belief in my abilities and a bank account that had seen better days.?

I was ready to conquer the world — or at least pay rent without crying every month. But what they didn't tell me in med school or internship is that the real test comes after getting that license.?

Spoiler alert: It’s not a case presentation; it’s the case of What the Hell am I doing with my life?!

Between sending a bajillion job applications and waiting for callbacks that never came (seriously, is there some sort of anti-medical-professional blacklist I wasn’t aware of?), I found myself diving into the wild world of side hustles.?

From tutoring students who seemed more interested in TikTok dances than textbooks, to considering selling kidney-shaped keychains on Shopify, I’ve done it all. And oh boy, the stories I’ve gathered along the way!

Every day, I’d wake up, make my coffee, and with all the hope in the world, open my laptop to scour job boards.?

“Medical Officer Wanted” would light up my screen like a beacon... until I saw the catch: "5 years experience required, must have superpowers, and the ability to cure all known diseases."?

I wasn’t sure if they wanted a doctor or a Marvel superhero, but I applied anyway, armed with my secret weapon—endless optimism.

Months flew by faster than my last paycheck, and I realized job hunting was less about qualifications and more about how creatively I could stretch the truth on my CV. “Managed high-stress situations”—sure, if you count dodging calls from my landlord. “Excellent at multi-tasking”—yes, especially when balancing hopes, dreams, and ramen noodles.

With the traditional job market playing hard to get, I pivoted to the gig economy, also known as the “do whatever it takes to survive” sector.?

I found myself wearing many hats: health coach, medical content writer, web developer, wannabe influencer—you name it. At one point, I considered starting a YouTube channel titled “Will Work for Food,” featuring my culinary misadventures with instant noodles. Spoiler: the only thing I managed to cook up was a mild case of indigestion.

Amid all the craziness, there were moments when I seriously questioned my life choices. Like the time I was hired to do telemedicine consults for a "startup" that turned out to be just a dude in his basement with Wi-Fi issues. But each odd job taught me something new—mostly patience, resilience, and the fine art of improvisation.

So today I’m at this outpatient desk today trying to write my frustrations away, still hustling, still hoping, still occasionally screaming “What the hell?!” into the void.?

But hey, if this journey has taught me anything, it’s that life post-internship is like a season of a really bad reality show—awkward, unplanned, and full of plot twists no one asked for.

Anyone of you out there wondering if you’ve missed some secret memo on how to adult correctly—same. I’m still figuring it out, one side hustle and dubious career choice at a time.?

In the meantime, I’ll be here, sipping my coffee, refreshing my inbox, and trying not to freak out. Who knows, maybe my dream “Medical Officer Wanted” post will require 0 years of experience, infinite persistence, and a killer sense of humor. And if not, there’s always that kidney-shaped keychain business…